Former Atomic Energy Commission chairman Srikumar Banerjee dead

Srikumar Banerjee, former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, died in the early hours of Sunday due to a heart attack at his residence in neighbouring Navi Mumbai, officials said.

Banerjee, who was in his 70s, had recovered from COVID-19 last month, they said.

He retired as chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy in 2012.

Banerjee also served as the director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) for six years till 2010.

A metallurgy engineer from the IIT Kharagpur, Banerjee joined the BARC after completing his B Tech degree, and rose to become the director of the premier scientific institution.

Banerjee's work focused on physical metallurgy and material science.

He was a recipient of many awards in his career, including the Padma Shri in 2005 and the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in 1989.